KUALA LUMPUR: As more than a thousand teachers held up fans with the words "I love you PM", Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that teachers who have their salary scale increased to a higher grade would not be demoted in their positions.
He also said that teachers of a higher grade would also now be able to hold a higher position and certain positions in primary schools would not be confined to the current lower grades in the pay scale of the civil service.
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The announcement is to benefit about 2,047 teachers nationwide.
The Prime Minister announced this to 1,500 teachers from nationwide who were attending a special gathering organised by the National Union of Teaching Profession at Matrade Convention and Exhibition Centre here on Saturday (Oct 1).
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"Headmasters at grade DG48 will not be demoted to senior assistant teachers or regular teachers at primary schools when they are promoted to DG52 and DG54 on the time-based promotion scheme.
"The grades of headmasters and senior assistant teachers are raised to a maximum of grade DG54. This will allow those who are promoted to higher pay grades to remain in the position," said the PM.
"Teachers of DG48 will be given the opportunity to be appointed as assistant senior teachers in primary schools. Senior assistant teachers in primary schools will now not be confined to those in grade DG44 only.
"Senior assistant teachers who have had their pay scale raised to DG54 can now remain in that position," he added.
He stated that the excellent teacher posts would now also include nominations from those in DG52 and DG52 to be considered. This was because 90.68% of the primary school teachers are now on a graduate level in the civil service.
"The Education Ministry is currently studying the structure of staffing for headmasters and senior assistant teachers in primary schools through the proposal of Model Schools to keep those teachers up to DG54 to ensure that the administrative positions in schools are always maintained to preserve the harmony of the school community," said Ismail Sabri.
Earlier, at the same event, NUTP president Aminuddin Awang said that the special gathering of teachers was held to thank the Prime Minister for assisting the union to solve teachers' problems.
"This is the first time a Prime Minister has graced a NUTP event as big as this. We have asked the Prime Minister to step in for us to resolve some of our problems which have not been solved despite us begging so many quarters.
"We want lesser relevant duties which have nothing to do with teaching, which have led to many teachers retiring early. We ask that full-time wardens are placed in school hostels nationwide.
"We ask that the payment of invigilators and examination paper markers be sped up, to increase the allowance for replacement of leave and better deal of Model Schools which are still stuck at the Civil Service Department," said Aminuddin, to loud cheers.
